The Monogrammed Life: September 2013

Monday, September 30, 2013 2 comments

Friday, September 27, 2013 No comments

i made a good decision today. i have a few days of summer left before going back to teaching {for my second year of teach for america}, so after soaking up some sun and lunch with a friend, i decided to make sour cream chicken enchiladas and some rolo brownies. i had them waiting for husband when he got home from work...very good decision and very happy husband! we ran a half marathon yesterday and we are still recovering, so these hit the spot. our friend came over & finished off the rest. guess they were good! this recipe is so simple, but seriously we loved it and we'll be making it again soon.

•sour cream chicken enchiladas•

1 lb chicken breast, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups grated Mexican blend cheese, grated
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 (15 ounce) can chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies {optional}

directions

1. Bake the chicken or cook it in a frypan with olive oil until chicken is just done. If you want to bake it and shred it, follow my tips here.
2. Divide cooked chicken evenly between 8 tortillas. Add 2 tablespoons of cheese to each tortilla.
3. Roll enchiladas up and place seam-side down in a lightly sprayed 9x13" baking dish.
4. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Gradually stir in flour to make a thick base, stirring until it's bubbly. Immediately stir whisk in some chicken broth a little bit at a time as it thickens. Bring to boiling, stirring frequently.
5. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream as it gets creamy and thick. Pour the sauce evenly over enchiladas.
6. Top with the rest of the cheese {at this point you can wrap it in saran wrap and freeze it for later} otherwise bake at 400 F for 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sauce near edges of baking dish is bubbly.

i lightened these up with trader joe's fat free sour cream. next time i might even substitute greek yogurt!

Written by Emi from The Well Traveled Wife

Wednesday, September 25, 2013 2 comments

Monday, September 23, 2013 2 comments

Friday, September 20, 2013 No comments

In the words of Miss Hepburn herself "I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick. I believe in pink. I believe happy girls are the prettiest girls."

Making yourself feel pretty is one of life's greatest gifts to women. I love, love, LOVE makeup. I like feeling pretty and accentuating my features. I like having people notice how nice my eyes look, or how pretty my complexion is.

But I'm also a minimalist. Your natural beauty is what should always shine through. There is just something far more beautiful about a person if they bear their flaws, yet show off the things about them that they're proud of.

I'm a HUGE fan of BB Cream. Simply because it does so many good things for your face: protecting it, moisturizing it, covering up blemishes, and healing it from natural imperfections.

A little (I stress LITTLE) eyeliner is good for the face. It can really bring out a person's eyes and give them that extra boost of confidence when needed. I prefer pen just because it goes on smoother, but with a nice sharp pencil, a thin and precise line can be drawn just as well as a pen.

Mascara is tricky. You don't want it to clump or look to harsh (especially if you have fair skin and light hair). But the good news is that mascara comes in ALL colors and there's one just for you out there. I like Great Lash because it's relatively cheap and stays on all day!

The prettiest lips are those well nourished. Chapped lips are a pain in the butt and are unsightly at times (especially if you're also on acne meds that dry your skin out) But there are SOOO many good product to use for soft lips. EOS are awesome and are so easy to carry with you (and taste really good too!). Then, when the lips are healed, lip gloss can be applied. Sticky, ooey-gooey gloss can be a pain when it comes to having long hair. Trust me, I know. But new glosses/balms are unsticky and have a lovely tint to them.

What are your favorite beauty products?

Written by Savannah from Lone Star Belle

Wednesday, September 18, 2013 2 comments

Monday, September 16, 2013 2 comments

Friday, September 13, 2013 1 comments

Wednesday, September 11, 2013 3 comments

Y'all know I'm all about simple. Right?

Y'all also know how passionate I am about fueling my body with the most nutritious foods. Right?

Ok...for the most part...anyways! ;)

Whatdya get when you combine simple + healthy?

Well...if you read the title of this post, you would know you get a Kale + Cranberry Salad... and it's literally...as easy and delicious as it sounds.

5 years ago, you could have handed me a bunch of kale and I would have never known what it was. I would have tasted it and hated it and never wanted it again. In fact, you probably couldn't have paid me to actually eat kale and pretend to like it.

Fast forward to now. Obviously...I know what kale is but more so, I've learned just how beneficial kale is to your health and also, ways to actually enjoy it!

Kale Quickies:

Highest antioxidant capacity of all the greens. Antioxidants fight free radicals (the bad, cancer-causing stuff).
Excellent source of vitamins A ("A" for awesome for skin), C ("C" for collagen-builder and immune booster) calcium (bone builder), carotene and lutein (both excellent nutrients for the eyes and for reducing the risk of macular degeneration).
LOADED with fiber. Think "regular". ;)
One of the most important foods to buy organic. Remember: the thinner the skin, the more important to buy organic. For example, kale has no "skin"...you eat it as is. Same with all greens. On the other hand, oranges and bananas both have a thick skin that you don't eat. While it's always ideal to buy these organic, well, I know how expensive that can be and for someone who doesn't have an neverending bank account, I know that buying 100% organic 100% of the time is sometimes impossible. Do what you can and don't kick yourself if you can't. (If you learn one thing from me...I hope it's that you learn to always, always purchase organic greens.)

Okay. Okay. Okay.

Enough with the Bill Nye stuff. Here's what you'll need:

1 bunch organic kale | 1 C dried cranberries | 1 C golden raisins | 3/4 C almond | 3/8 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Rinse your kale and cut it into about 2 inch pieces. Toss the thick, veiny base of the stalks. Ain't nobody got time fo' dat.

Find the largest bowl in your house (seriously...my kale was so fluffy I thought I was going to have to resort to using my bathtub as my mixing bowl) and combine all ingredients.

If you're a fan of lemon juice and/or sea salt (raises hand), feel free to add a little to your mix. It's not completely necessary but sometimes I need a little somethin' somethin' to lessen the taste of the olive oil. Lemon juice and sea salt do just that!

Toss yo' salad and just like that my friends...you have just made your very first Kale + Cranberry Salad! Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving because, afterall, who wants a hot salad?

Enjoy as a side dish or if you're me, eat a ton of it for lunch with a side of fresh fruit because you're too lazy to heat up your leftovers. ;)

There.

Don't say I never did anything for you. ;)

En. Friggin. Joy.

Written by Stephanie from BEAUtiful Mess

Monday, September 09, 2013 No comments

One of my favorite parts of Fall is football season. I was a cheerleader from seventh grade to twelfth grade, so Thursday & Friday nights meant performing, which I absolutely loved. Once I got to college, it was a foreign concept to me to just sit in the stands and watch the game, but I love it all the same! At least once per game, I’ll have a chant pop into my head from my cheer days- for example, when the Aggies are having a hard time holding the offense, I’ll automatically think, “Sack that quarterback, defense ATTACK.” But don’t worry, I keep these things to myself.

Ever since Texas A&M entered the SEC, our gameday attire has drastically shifted from ultra-casual to ultra-chic, which I love! I had planned on sharing my gameday outfit from this past week, but it was 106 degrees at the game, so in the few photos I have, I’m sweating death and it’s not cute. Maybe next week!

However, such extreme conditions did get me thinking about what every girl should have handy on gameday. Over the past two football seasons, I’ve perfected the gameday bag and its necessary contents. Here you go!

1) Water- I’m not trying to be your mom or anything, but this is very important. Especially in Texas, the first few games are extremely hot, and you will want plenty of H2O, to stay hydrated! I would suggest taking two, and freezing one beforehand. No, it’s not the cutest accessory, but passing out isn’t the best way to spend half time, now is it?

2)Sunscreen-again, not trying to be your mom, but this is also very important. Only for day games, obviously. But really, I can’t tell you how many awkward sunburns I’ve seen after game weekends- I once got one on only one half of my face. Prevent this (and melanoma) with a liberal application of sunscreen on (at least) your face.

3)Crossbody bag- you want something that holds everything, but not something too heavy. You also want the option of being able to hold it throughout the game if you need to, if, for example, someone spills a drink in the stands, or it starts raining (heaven forbid) and you don’t want to place it on the ground. Of course there are many options, but my absolute favorite is the monogrammed crossbody from Marley Lilly.

There are so many color options that coordinate with many different gameday color schemes. Unfortunately, there’s no maroon, but I love the brown, black, and cream options! I don’t have one yet, but it’s definitely on my “to-buy” list!

4) Sunglasses- Pick a pair that looks good on your face shape and matches your outfit- black and brown are always wonderful options, and aviators go with literally everything. Throw them on when the sun is in your eyes (obvi.), or when you’re trying to hide the fact that it’s too hot and you were ready to leave last quarter.

5) Lipstick and lip balm- For some reason, one of the only places I wear bold lipstick is to football games. I guess that’s just the Southern belle in me! If you wear lipstick, tuck the tube inside your bag for touchups, in addition to a tube of lip balm. Something about being outside makes me feel like I need it, so I like to have it on hand!

6) Monogrammed Koozie- or not monogrammed, your choice. This is great for tailgating and all that WATER you’ll be drinking. I loathe carrying water bottles that are dripping with condensation, so this is a great solution for that problem! You can also always tell which drink is yours. My roommate got me this little cutie for my 21st, and I forgot it last week, but I’m looking forward to using it this week!

If you’re looking to add this to your gameday stash, check out Marley Lilly!

7)Game tickets- don’t leave these at home- that’s always a tragedy.

8)Raincoat- if you think it might rain, bring one! Most stadiums don’t allow umbrellas inside, so you don’t want to be a soaking wet kitten in your cutie gameday outfit! ALWAYS check the forecast before you go!

Hopefully this will help you get prepared for gameday this weekend! Writing this has gotten me all excited for Saturday in Kyle Field!

What are your gameday essentials?